Apparatus for interlocking switches and signals



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

, G. FULLMAN.

APPARATUS FOR INTERLOGKING SWITCHES AND SIGNALS. No. 313,585 Patented Mar. 10, 1885.

c I v u M M u] U N, PETERS. Pholn-Lillwgmphcn Washington, D. C.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. FU'LLMAN. APPARATUS FOR INTERLOGKING SWITCHES AND SIGNALS. No. 313,585. Patented Mar. lO, 1885.

I 2 f/ 0 f 5- akelo N PETERS Phnlu-Liihngmphnr. WashinglolL ac.

' (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

. G. FULLMAN. APPARATUS FOR INTERLOGKING SWITCHES AND SIGNALS. No. 318,585. Patented Mar. 10, 1885.v

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N. PETERS Phnlo-Lillmgnphw. Washington. DC.

lUnTTnn nTaTns FATTJNT Orrrcn,

GEORGE FULLMAN, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

APPARATUS FOR lNTERLOCKING SWITCHES AND SlGNALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 313,585, dated March 10, 1885.

Application filed April 8, 1854. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I. GEORGE FULLMAN, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Interlocking Switches and Signals, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to aninterlocking system for switches and signals adapted for use upon railroads; and the novelty consists in the construction, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention, in general, is to provide such a construction that the device itself shall be an infallible check against catastrophe due to carelessness, thoughtlessness, or neglect upon the part of the attendant.

The specific objects may be said to be, briefly, first, to provide an interlocking system which will work automatically when the proper levers are thrown to open a track in either direction to an approaching train or comotive, and the proper signal-lever thrown to signal such condition, to not only look every other switch in that system against anynianipulation whatever, but to lock the particular switch thus thrown by the means which are employed to throw the signal for that switch against any further movement or n1anipulation so long as that particularsignal is in op eration to denote the condition of the switch; second, to provide an interlocking system for switches and signals which is arbitrary in allowing but one track to be open and but one signal, whether in or out, to be exhibited at the same time, and which from the construction of the parts will not only when the signal is thrown lock every switch in the system against movement, but will lock every other signal against manipulation until this particular signal is again placed atdanger, third, to provide a construction which will afford to each switch two signals, one for an in signal and one for an out signal, the parts being so arranged and adapted to each other that neither signal for that switch can be given until the switch has been thrown, and as soon as the signal is given the switch will be locked against further movement untilthe signal has been again placed at danger, fourth, to pro vide a construction which will preclude the possibility of throwing certain traclcswitches until the other switches which open the way to such switches have been thrown, and which will lock the several switches thus thrown by the act of throwing the last switch; fifth, to provide, where more than one switch has been thrown, that only the signal of the last switch may be manipulated, the others being locked against movement by the action of the parts which throw the said switch last manipulated. These objects are attained by the mechanisms and combinations of mechanisms illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a vertical section taken at right angles thereto. Fig. 3 is a top plan viewbroken away, to show the internal arrangement, and this broken away portion is further broken to show the several locking-plates. Fig. 4: is a detail view in several parts, showing the several leverlocking plates separated and in plan view, the arrangement, however, being the same in relation to the operating-levers as if they were one above the other, as in operative position, the particular levers being shown in each of the figures, and properly designated. Fig. 5 is a diagram of a system of tracks and switches with my invention in operation.

The present description, for convenience, will refer to the arrangement of tracks and switches shown in Fig. 5; but it will be obvious that the novel features of the invention would serve with equal efficiency and success in other relations. 7

Referring to Fig. 5, I show a main line, A, with seven branches. These branches consist of a spur-track, as w, and six tracks, which I designate by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, as shown. The main track A has a switch, 1, which controls four tracks on either side. Tracks 5 and 6 branch from the main track A. Track 4 branches'from track 5. The spur track 00 and track 3 branch from track 1, and track 2 branches from track 3. This arrange- I is designatedby 3, the operating-lever 3, and

the connections 3 and soon. Each of these severalswitches is operated by its respective lever through the ordinary connections of gaspipes and bell-crank levers, and which need not be more particularly described, as they form of themselves no part of my invention.

. Adjacent to each switch is arranged the ordi nary open and danger signals, both in and out-, and these signals are designated by marks corresponding to the number of the trackas the signal for track 1 and switch 1 is ,designatedby the mark 1, and it is operated to throw the in signal by the lever 1 and the out signal by the lever 1 through the connections 1, which may be No. 6 telcgraph-wire or other material proper for the purpose. The signal for switch 2 is seen at 2, and is operated by the in lever 2 or out lever 2" through connections 2, and so on, each series or set of switch-operating or signal-operating devices being designated in main by the number of its track, and all similar devices of the different sets having a corresponding exponent, as f for all the in signallevers and f for all the out levers. These several switch-operating levers, as 1 2,

. &c., are arranged to be operated from a single point, which I will call a signal-box, and adjacent to each switch-lever are arranged the signal-levers of that switch, as 3 3". The only exceptions to this system of designating the parts are that the open track has no signal, and the main-track signal a is operated by lever a through connections a.

It will be observed that track 1 is the main branch,and that switch 1 controls four tracks on either side, making eight tracks in all; hence the switch-lever 1 forms an important feature of the mechanism, and is preferably arranged in the center of the series,the signallevers 1 and 1 being located at the left for convenience. With this specific reference to the system illustrated in Fig. 5,1 will describe the novel interlocking parts and their adjuncts. The several switch and signal levers, as described, are pivoted upon the same longitudinal plane, as seen at b, as a fulcrum, the object arm extending below a plate, I), and being connected with their respective switch or signal line, as 1 2" or 1 2, &c. The plate b and fulcrum b are preferably arranged below the floor or platform, at the surface of which is arranged a plate, b", having a series of transverse slots, b, one for each of the levers, as 1, and with upwardly-projecting lugs b which carry springs, the purpose of which will presently be set forth. Supported by standards 0 is a box, 0, having transverse slots 0 and longitudinal guide-grooves 0 in the sides,as shown in Fig. 2. Brackets 0 have upon their inner surfaces guide-grooves 0", which, in connection with the several grooves 0 serve as horizontal guides for a series of locking-plates, which plates in their further description will be designated by separate letters, N, O, P, Q, 850.

Each lever has a spring-bolt, S, of ordinary construction, which engages in a recess, 8, in a quadrant, D, or in a cover having transverse slots d, in which the levers operate, the bolts S serving to lock each lever tion upon either side of the box.

I will now describe the series of interlocking plates in their relation to each other and to the operating-levers'it being'understood that the plates M and M are for the purpose of locking levers which have been manipulated to force a switch from its normal position, as shown in the diagram, Fig. 5, in which position the main track is open. The lockingplates shown upon the left in Fig. 2, whether solid or in sections, are designated by the letters N, O, P, and Q, are of steel, and work loosely in the guides c c. As shown, the plate Q is of a single piece, in or near the center of which is a recess, q, which receives the switch-lever 1, which is the main lever, controlling four tracks upon either side. Upon either side of this recess q is a series of recesses, g, from which recesses extend in the direction of the longitude of the plate Q other recesses, as seen at (f, the latter extending toward the center from both sides. Each of these recesses g g is adapted to receive one of the levers shown, and to the plate Q at r is pivoted an arm, r, of a lever, B. This lever ispivoted or fulcrumed at r to lugs, as Y, extending up from the bottom of the box 0, and is provided with an incline, r, against which the lever 1 operates to lock all the levers on the left of the center, as seen in Fig. 4, and an incline, r against which. the same lever operates to unlock those levers, and lock those on the right as the plate Q is forced to the right or left; hence, with lever 1 in the position seen in Fig. 2 and in plate Q in Fig. 4, the said plate Q is forced to the left, and all the levers which have any function with relation to the switches or signals of tracks w, 1, 2, or 3 are securely locked against any movement whatever, and the main track is open, as seen in the diagram, Fig. 5.

In the back portion of the plate Q are a series of recesses, g through which project upward .the springs which have been mentioned as being secured to the series of lugs b and which will be described by letter reference as they are brought into this description. Above this plate Q, working loosely in the next series of guide-grooves, is the plate P, which is formed in two parts, the part P being held in the position shown in Fig. 4 by the constant force in its posi- IIO of spring 1), which, being secured to one of.

the studs b passes up through one of the recesses g in the plate Q, and has its upper end secured to the plate P, the spring p serving similarly in relation to the section 1 of the plate P. The plates 1 P are shown in normal position in Fig. 4, and the arrows indicate the directions in which the springs exert their force. To overcome this spring force. either of the levers 1 lira", 3, 5", 6, or a operate against the incline t of a lever, T, pivoted at t to the box 0, when such lever is pulled over to operate its respective switch or signal mechanism. These levers T are loosely secured to their plates at t", and the dotted lines from the levers specified indicate the paths of those levers and their effects-via,

l to force either the plate P or P to the left against the force of its spring, the spring passing idly in that direction in the slots g in the plate Q. The plates P P have slots in the back portion, to receive other springs which are secured to the plates above, and have recesses p and locking-recesses f, as shown. The plate 0 is made in five sections, which, for convenience of description, I will designate as O, 0 O, O", and O in the order shown from left to right. The sections 0', O", O, and 0* have springs 0 which operate through the slots 11 q" in plates P, I, and Q, respectively, and serve to hold the said sections to the left, while the section 0 has a spring, 0, which exerts its force in the opposite direction. These plates have recesses 0 and locking-recesses 0 as shown. There is a peculiar arrangement in these plates which serves an important function. \Vhile the lever 2 has its recess in the section 0', when it is thrown against the incline u of the lever U, pivoted at u, the action is to move thesection O to the right to unlock the signal-levers of the two-track switch, and the four-track lever 4 (in the section 0) serves similarly to unlock the signal-levers of the four-track signal from the section 0 through the similar lever, U. Sections 0', O, and 0 have pivoted to them short links V, which serve to force the said sections against the force of their springs, and lock them by the levers 8, 5, and 6, respectively. This action of the lever e serves to lock the signal-levers 6 6 in the section 0", the lever 5 locks the lever at in ,the section 0", and the lever 5 looks the lever 2" in the section 0; hence, if it is desired to manipulate the lever 2, both it and its signal-levers being locked, it is only necessary to first throw the lever 3, (lever 1" having of course been first thrown,) when the spring 0 of the 0 section throws said section to the left against the plate 0 to release the lever 2,

which, being thrown through the lever U,

throws the section 0 to the right, carrying the section 0 with it, to lock the signal-levers of the 3 track and unlock the signal-levers of the 2 track, which are then ready for use. It must be observed, however, that lever 3 has been thrown, and as thus far described is not locked against being again moved. I provide for this by the locking-lever plate M. This plate M is thrown to lock said lever 3 as soon as lever 2 is thrown, and is made in two sections, one section being a duplicate of the other. Each plate or section has a locking-recess, m, and recesses m for the levers.

Links \V, pivoted at 10 upon lugs extending up "from the box G, and pivoted to the plates M at w, serve to force the said plates to the right when lever 2" or 4) is thrown, and this action securely locks the lever .3, (or 5.) The plate N is made of sections N and N and they are provided with recesses a and locking-recesses 12 as shown. Levers Y connect these sections N and N with the sections of the locking-plates M, each lever Y being pivoted at 2 to one of the plates N or N to the'plates M at y, and to lugs extend ing up from the box G at The plates M have springs m which exert their influence in the direction indicated by the arrows, and have also slots m, through which operate the springs or of the plates M H. a and p on the plates N and P respectively, are means for locking the main switch-lever i It being understood that each lever is shown in four places in Fig. 4, I will now describe the operation of the locking means briefly, choosing for that purpose the task of sending a train from track aoutward to the main line, and next sending an incoming train into the depot on track 2. The engineer on the engine of the 4 track train watches the 4 track signal. The operator at the signal-box cannot manipulate the lever 4, because it is locked in the plate 0, without first throwing lever 5". This action,through the lever T, throws the plate P over to lock the lever 1, and also lever 6 and main-line signal a". He then throws the lever 4", which, through the action of the link XV, locks the lever 5 in the plate M, and also releases the signal-levers t" at by throwing the section 0 to the right, and also locks the signal-levers 5" 5" by throwing the plate 0 to the right. The operator now gives the out signal by throwing the lever 4", and this action throws the plate M to the right to lock the switclrlever 4 and in signal 4", and track 4 is open to the main line A. As thus conditioned it will be observed that every lever in the entire system is locked against any manipulation whatever, except the lever 43, and that is held in its position by the bolt S. It is absolutely impossible to derange the track, switches, or signals from this position without recourse to power sufiicient to break the metal parts of which the lockingsystem consists. The only lever in the entire series which can be moved is the last one moved, the out signal-lever P, and the only result which could accrue from moving that lever would be to set the signal again at danger, and notify the engineer to stop. Train 4 having cleared the territory illustrated,

IIO

the several levers are restored to the position ing-plates, as M, for locking the levers which of the lever shown in Fig. 2, and the tracks have been thrown, as set forth.

again assume the position shown in the diagram, the locking-plates of course again as suming the position shown in Fig. 4. I will now direct an incoming train into the depot to stop on track 2. The operator first throws lever 1 to close the main track and open the left-hand series of tracks. This action,through the lever B, throws the plate Q to the right, and locks everything to the right of the recess q, releasing all the levers to the left. He then throws switch-lever 3, which throws plate P to the left to lock the spurswitch-lever and N o. 1 signal-levers 1 1". He then throws switch-lever 2, which was unlocked by the movement of O to the left, due to the move- .ment of the lever 3, which looks lever 8 by described the locking-plates as shown;.but

their construction and arrangement may be varied, the essential feature being that looking-plates having recesses shall be so arranged that the movement of one lever shall lock others against movement.

I haveillustrated and described one specific way of carrying out my invention, but modifications may be made in details of construction to great extent without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages set forth.

Having thus fully described the essential features of my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In combination with a series of switches and their operating-levers, and with a series of signals and their operating-levers,arran ged as described, a series of locking-plates having recesses arranged one above another in two sets, one set at either end of the throw of the levers, and the several plates, connected,as described, by arms or links which lie across the path of the levers, whereby the throwing of the proper levers from one set of plates to the other to open any track, and the signal to denote that condition, will automatically lock every other switch and signal lever until the last signal-lever thrown is again placed at danger, as set forth.

2. In combination with a series of switches and their operating-levers, as 1, &c., and with an in and an out signal for each switch-lever, a series of recessed lockingplates, as N O P Q, for locking the levers notthrown, and a series of recessed auxiliary lock- 3. In combination with a series of switches and their operating-levers, as 1, 2, &c., and with a series of signals and their operatingleversl 1, &c., arranged as described, the locking-plates M and M, the levers Y, connecting the plates M and N ,and the levers W, as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In an interlocking signal apparatus, substantially as described, the combination, with a series of switches and signals and with their operating-levers, of a series of locking-plates, as P Q, having slots, as p and g respectively, a series of springs, 0 passing through such slots to operate plates, as 0, above, and a se ries of levers. as T, with inclined arms t, all combined and operating as and for the purposes specified.

5. In combination with a series of switches and their operating-levers, a main switch-lever controlling a number of tracks upon either side, and a locking-plate, as Q, operated by such main lever to look all the switch-levers upon one side or the other, according to the.

direction the said main lever is thrown, as set forth.

6. In combination with aseries of switches, as 1, 5, &c., and with a series of signals, as 1 5", and their operating-levers, as 1 5, and 1* 1 5 5, respectively,-arranged as shown, the single plate Q, having central recess, q, and locking-recesses q ,q", arranged reversely on opposite sides of the recessq, and, the lever B, having reverse inclines r r, all arranged and operating in relation to the main switchlever 1, as set forth.

7. In combination with the levers 1, 2, &c.,

switches,signals, and signal-levers 1 2", &c., the locking plate Q, having recess q and locking-recesses q arranged as shown, the main switch-lever 1, controlling a number of tracks on either side of the mainswitch, and the plate P havinglocking-recess p adapted to lock the said lever 1, as set forth.

8. The locking-plate Q, having locking recesses, arranged as shown, combined with the lever 1, the lever B, having inclines 1 and r,

and with aseries of switch and signal levers, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of the locking-plates M and M with the levers Y, links W, a series of locking-plates and switch and signal meohan ism, substantiallyas set forth.

10. The plates 0 and O and plate M, combined with the lever U, link W, and switchlevers 2 and 3, substantially as set forth.

In testimonv whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE FULLMAN.

Witnesses:

H. CLAY SMITH, E. H. Rnnvns. 

